Jl Set  of  Tapestries 
by  Jjubreuil 

Xpisodes  in  the  Life  ofjdiana 


' 


■ 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2016 


https://archive.org/details/setoftapestriesbOOwana 


The  Dubreuil  Tapestries 

The  set  consists  of  the  folloiving  pieces 
The  birth  of  Diana  and  Apollo  on  the  Island  of  Delos 

Size — Height,  12  feet  2 inches.  Width,  8 feet  3 inches 

Amyclas  and  Meliboea,  children  of  Niobe,  saved  from 

the  arrows  of  Diana 

Size — Height,  12  feet  2 inches.  Width,  8 feet  7 inches 

Diana  and  Jupiter  declining  Orion’s  marriage  proposal 

Size — Height,  11  feet  10  inches.  Width,  13  feet  1 inch 

Diana,  deceived  by  Apollo,  causes  the  death  of  Orion 

Size — Height,  12  feet.  Width,  10  feet  6 inches 

Diana  and  Apollo  slaying  the  children  of  Niobe 

Size — Height,  11  feet  8 inches.  Width,  16  feet 


THE  PRICE  OF  THIS  SET,  $75,000 
JOHN  WANAMAKER 


A Set  of  Tapestries  by  Dubreuii 

Episodes  in  the  Life  of  Diana 


E have  been  so  fortunate  as  to  receive 


lately  from  France  a remarkable  set  of  five 
tapestries,  representing  the  history  of  Diana. 
These  tapestries  were  woven  after  the  cartoons 
of  Dubreuii  in  one  of  the  Paris  ateliers  which 
Louis  XIV  afterwards  merged  into  the  manufac- 
tory  known  as  the  Gobelins.  Before  the  Revo- 
lution  these  tapestries  belonged  to  the  Prefec- 
ture of  Alencon,  the  mansion  belonging  to  the 
Intendant  of  the  city.  During  the  Revolution, 
in  order  to  protect  them  from  confiscation,  the 
Intendant  had  these  tapestries  transferred  to  a 
chateau  in  Normandy,  where  they  have  since 
been  in  the  possession  of  the  same  family. 

In  order  to  suppress  the  original  initials  or  the 
armorings  contained  in  the  cartoons  in  the  center 
of  the  top  border,  a new  medallion  was  woven  in 
after  1793.  Hundreds  of  tapestries  which  showed 
pictures  of  the  King  or  the  insignia  of  royalties 
were  destroyed  during  the  Revolution.  Many 
had  the  borders  cut  off  or  the  offending  coat- 
of-arms  cut  out.  The  cartouches  of  this  set 
are  now  filled  with  garlands  of  flowers. 

The  point  of  the  tapestries  is  exceedingly  fine, 
twenty  threads  to  the  inch.  The  background  is 
subdued,  with  much  of  the  red  and  blue  so 
desirable  in  French  tapestries,  and  in  the  bor- 
ders are  figures  in  grisaille  which  lend  an  ex- 
traordinary decorative  quality. 


I 


The  birth  of  Diana  and  Apollo  on 
the  Island  of  Delos 

THE  jealousy  of  Juno  banished  beautiful 
Latona  to  Delos,  a rock  in  the  Aegean  Sea. 
Here  Apollo  and  his  twin  sister,  Diana,  were  born. 

These  two  gods — the  god  of  the  Sun  and  the 
goddess  of  the  Moon— seem  to  have  centered 
in  themselves  the  highest  ideal  of  their  country. 


II 

Amyclas  and  Meliboea,  children 
of  Niobe,  saved  from  the 
arrows  of  Diana 

ACCORDING  to  Homer,  all  the  children  of 
\ Niobe  fell  from  the  arrows  of  Apollo 
and  Diana,  but  later  writers  state  that  one  of 
her  sons,  Amyclas,  and  one  of  her  daughters, 
Meliboea,  were  saved. 


Ill 

Diana  and  Jupiter  declining  Orion’s 
marriage  proposal 

ORION  proposed  to  Jupiter  for  the  hand  of 
Diana,  but  the  goddess  scorned  him,  and, 
with  Jupiter,  refused  his  proposal. 


IV 


Diana,  deceived  by  Apollo,  causes 
the  death  of  Orion 

RION  was  the  son  of  Neptune,  a hand- 


some  giant  and  a mighty  hunter.  His 
father  gave  him  the  power  of  wading  through 
the  depths  of  the  sea. 

Apollo  feared  that  his  sister  Diana  would  fall  in 
love  with  Orion,  whom  he  greatly  disliked,  and 
determined  to  prevent  it  at  all  costs.  One  day, 
observing  Orion  wading  through  the  sea,  with 
his  head  just  above  the  water,  Apollo  pointed 
it  out  to  Diana  and  maintained  that  she  could 
not  hit  the  black  thing  in  the  sea.  The  goddess 
discharged  an  arrow  with  fatal  aim.  The  waves 
rolled  the  dead  body  of  Orion  to  the  land;  and, 
bewailing  her  mistake  with  many  tears,  Diana 
placed  him  among  the  stars,  where  he  appears 
as  a giant  with  a girdle,  sword,  lion’s  skin,  and 
club.  Sirius,  his  dog,  follows  him,  and  the 
Pleiades  fly  before  him. 


V 


Diana  and  Apollo  slaying  the 
children  of  Niobe 
¥5 

NIOBE,  the  queen  of  Thebes,  was  one  of  the  mortals 
who  failed  to  learn  the  lesson  of  humility,  and  was 
tragically  punished  by  the  gods. 

Niobe  had  seven  sons  and  seven  daughters,  who  were 
the  fairest  of  the  land. 

Niobe  boasted  of  them  before  the  altar  of  Latona,  when 
the  people  of  Thebes  were  assembled  to  pay  their  vows 
to  the  goddess.  “What  folly,”  said  she,  “is  this!  Why 
should  Latona  be  honored  with  worship,  and  none  be 
paid  to  me?  I have  seven  sons  and  seven  daughters. 
Have  I not  cause  for  pride?  Will  you  prefer  to  me  this 
Latona,  with  her  two  children?” 

Latona  was  indignant  and  sent  Apollo  and  Diana  to 
punish  the  presumptuous  mortal.  Darting  through  the 
air,  veiled  in  clouds,  they  alighted  on  the  towers  of  the 
city.  The  sons  of  Niobe,  who  were  in  the  great  plain 
where  the  youth  of  the  city  pursued  their  sports,  one 
by  one  were  struck  by  arrows  from  above  ana  fell  dead. 
Niobe’s  husband,  overwhelmed  with  the  news,  destroyed 
himself.  Niobe  tried  to  protect  her  daughters,  but  as 
they  stood  mourning  over  their  dead  brothers  they  were 
struck  by  the  gods’  wrath  also. 

At  last  only  one  remained,  whom  the  mother  clasped 
and  covered  with  her  whole  body.  “Spare  me  one!  ” she 
cried,  and  as  she  spoke,  that  one  fell  dead. 

Desolate,  Niobe  changed  to  stone  within  and  without, 
and  still  remains  a mass  of  rock  from  which  a trickling 
stream  flows,  the  tribute  of  her  never-ending  grief. 


"T 


The  Wanamaker  Collection  of 
Tapestries 

includes,  besides  the  set  illustrated  in  this  book,  a 
very  fine  set  of  three  tapestries  made  in  Aubus- 
son.  Ecclesiastical  subjects,  signed. 

PRICE  FOR  THE  SET,  $31,500 


A pair  of  Flemish  tapestries  after  Romano’s  car- 
toons, representing  children  playing  at  theatri- 
cals. The  borders  on  this  pair  are  unique,  being 
composed  entirely  of  musical  instruments. 

PRICE  FOR  THE  PAIR,  $17,000 


Over  one  hundred  tapestries  are  in  the  collec- 
tion, examples  of  almost  every  period  and  weave, 
Flemish  and  Aubusson  Verdures  of  the  middle 
of  the  18th  Century  predominating.  These  range 
in  price  from  $800  to  $8,000. 

JOHN  WANAMAKER 

NEW  YORK 


John  \Janamaker 

Newlfork 


